Brick-machine.



C. H. HORTON.

BRICK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0120.23.1915.

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BRICK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23. 1915.

Patented Dec 26, 1916.

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BRICK-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Dec. 2651916.

Original application filed March 19, 1915,Seria1 No. 15,347. Divided and this application filed December I 23,1915. Serial No. 68,403. 1 a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. HORTON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brick-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

' This application is a division of my copending application for patent onbrick Inachines, Serial-No. 15,347, filed March .19, 1915. 7

This invention relates to improvements inbrick machines and more particularly to the mud press of a brick machine, the invention proposing a novel mechanism for controlling the operation of the press'plates or equivalent elements of the mud press.

The pressure developed by the mud press should be carefully regulated, since it must not be so great as to force the clay through the vents in the bottom'of the mold or to cause the bricks to stick in or adhere to the walls of the molds, yet it must be suffi- I ciently great to insure that the molds are completely filled and thatthere are no voids at their corners. I I The principal object of the invention'is to provide mechanism for regulating or controlling the operation of a mud press whereby the above requirements will be satisfied. Further objects of the invention are to provide mud press operating mechanism of such character that the press plates or equivalent elementsare operated with precision and certaintyand with uniform speed and pressure developing effect.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein:- c s v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism in which the features of the invention are incorporated; Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the same in aplane at right angles to the plane ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectionalview thereof; Fig. 4: is a detail plan view thereof; Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view thereof on the: line 5 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the press plates and die of one form of mud press in connection with whichthe invention may be practised.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several vlews.

in the accompanying drawings,-

The invention isshown in the drawings as applied'to a mud press of the type disclosed in my prior: Patent No. 497,322 of May 16, 1893, butas regards the features of regulating the pressure developed and of :operatively connecting and disconnecting the reciprocatory operating element of the mud press and the driverxfor said reciprocatory element, it may, without changes in the salient principles of construction and operation, be adapted'for other types of mud or brick presses. The particularmud press disclosed includes a pair ofpressplate's and toward one another to charge the molds and are thereafter movedupward and away from one anotherto their normal or starting positions in which they are substantially Ivertically disposed.

The rock shafts 2 are operated by a reciprocatory bar 5 through a togglesystem comprising links .6 fast on the rock shaft 2 and links 7 connecting the links 6 and the bar 5 and supportingthe latter under certain conditions. The bar 5 derives its reciprocatory motion from the movement of a sliding head 8 operated through a connecting link'9 from a crank arm 10 provided on anoperating shaft 11.

In theembodimen't shown, the regulation of the action of the mud press is had by so constructing and relating the bar 5 and the head 8 that the downward movement of said bar to effect an operation of the press plates '1 may be initiated at'any desired period of the movement of said head and, hence, the

sides ofa plate 14: secured to the, frame of the machine. The head 8 is also provided near its rear edges with inwardly projecting guide flanges 1 5 which engage in grooves 16 formed in the sides of the bar 5 through an extent equal tothe full length of the stroke through which. the head 8 moves.

The head 8 has arranged within its lower portion a clamping shoe 17 which is operative to frictionally engage the front face of the bar 5 and to thereby cause said bar to participate in the movement of said head. For the" purpose of controlling the operation of the shoe'17, a horizontal rock shaft 18 is journaled in the lower portion ofthe head 8 and is provided with an arm 19 which works in a recess 20 formed in the shoe 17. The shaft 18 projects at its endsbeyond the head 8and at one end carries a weight 21 which establishes the frictional engagement of said shoe with the front face of the bar 5.

The plate 14 carries at one side thereof a vertically adjustable rail 22 havinga camfaced lower end 23. The rail 22 is adjustable lengthwise of the plate 14 and is movable at any desired position along said plate by means of a handle 24, being fixed at any desired position to which it is set by a pawl 25 conveniently carried by said handle and arranged to engage teeth 26 formed at the rear side of the plate 1 1. The rail 22 coacts with an arm 27 mounted upon the end of the shaft 18 opposite to that which carries the weight 21. WVhen the free end of the arm 27, which is preferably provided with a friction roller, rides along the surface of the plate 14:, the weight 21 is effective to friction ally engage the shoe 17 with the front face of the bar 5 whereby said bar will participate in the movement of the sliding head 8, but when the arm 27 moves along the rail 22, the shoe 17 is positively held out of engagement with the bar 5 and, hence, said bar does not participate in the movement of the head 8.

It is necessary that the press plates 1 should commence their operative movement from positions in which they are fully open,

a. 6., substantially vertical positions; and to insure this result, the bar 5, regardless of its range of movement and the consequent extent of movement of the press plates, must always commence its downward move ment from a fixed point. This result would be defeated in case there were any uncompensated slippage (due, for example, to the pressure of the clay) between the bar 5 and the head 8 on the upward or return movement of said head; and to compensate for any slippage which may occur between these parts, the upper end of the head 8 is'formed to engage an over-hanging shoulder 30 provided on the bar 5 and thereby, on its upward movement, to positively return'the bar 5 to the fixed position from which its downward operative movement is commenced in case said bar has slipped relatively to the head 8 during the upward movement ofsaid head. In this way, the bar 5 will invariably be returned to the fixed position from which its downward --movement is commenced.

The extent of movement of the bar 5, and therewith of the press plates 1, will ob viously be greater or less as the rail 22 is set in a higher or lower position; but the starting positions of said bar and of said press plates will be invariable, as explained, and, hence, will not be aifected by adjustments of the position of the rail 22.- It is obvious that by varying the extent of movement of the press plates 1, the pressure developed by the mud press may be exactly regulated as, conditions mayrequire.

Itislpreferred to. construct the shoe 17 with an engaging part 28 having a wedge fit against the body of said shoe and adjustable to vary the friction with which the shoe engages the .bar 5 by a'suitable screw.29 connecting the. fixed and adjustable parts of the shoe. I

' Having fully described my invention, I claim I 1. In a brick machine, in combination, a mud press, a reciprocatorybar for effecting the operation thereof, a reciprocatory head having a sliding fit on and working in parallel relation to said bar, an internally arranged clamp. carried by said head .for engagement with said bar at a period of the movement of said head, a weighted rock shaft for operating said clamp, an arm projecting from said rock shaft,'and a member adjustable in the direction of the movement of said head for engaging said arm. and thereby operating the clamp to release. said bar.

2. In a brick machine, in combination, a mud press, a reciprocatory bar for efiecting the operation thereof, a reciprocatory head having a sliding fit on said bar and provided with an internally arranged clamp for engagement with said bar at a period of the movement of said head,and means adjustable in either direction of movement of said head for controlling the operation of saidclamp during periods of movementof said head, said bar having ashoulder above and overhanging said head, for engagement thereby in order that said head maypositively return said bar to an invariable nor mal position. i

'3. In a brick machine,,in combination, a mud press, a pair of fixed vertical guideways, a reciprocatory head having a sliding fit in said guideways, a reciprocatory bar extending through said head and having a sliding fit therein, said barveffecting the operation of said mud press, an internally arranged clamp. carried by said head for engagement with said bar at a period of the movement of said head, and means adjustable in either direction of movement of said head for controlling, the operation of said clamp during periods of movement of'said head.

4%. In a brick machine, in combination, a

mud press having a rook shaft for effecting the operation thereof, a reeiprocatory head,

fixed guides for said head, a reciprocatory bar extending through said head and having a 5 a sliding fit therein, toggle links connecting said bar at its upper end and said rock shaft, an internally arranged clamp carried by said head for engagement with said bar at a period of the movement of said head, 1 and means adjustable in either direction of Witnesses.

movement of said head for controlling the 1 operation of said clamp during periods of CHARLES H. HORTON. Witnesses FRANK L. KERR, INA M. STORY.

(topics or this patent may be obtained for five cents eachyby addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

